the bistro off broadway

Heritage Foundation
Unions Losing in Their Last Stronghold
By Amy Payne
December 11, 2012 

This is the week that Michigan’s workers will finally be freed from forced unionization. 

After decades of United Auto Workers control over the struggling American auto industry, the Michigan legislature’s passing of a right-to-work law is historic. Governor Rick Snyder (R) is expected to sign the law as early as tomorrow. 

Regardless of news reports, the people of Michigan are behind this. A recent poll showed that 51 percent of Michigan voters support right-to-work. Only 41 percent are opposed. In fact, 40 percent of union households supported it. In November, Michigan voters rejected a ballot proposal that would have amended the state constitution to prevent the legislature from passing a right-to-work law and elevated union contracts above state law. The New York Times called it “a test case on enshrining the rights of unions,” and unions spent more than $23 million campaigning for the initiative. It lost by 15 points. 

They’re still campaigning. Yesterday, President Obama campaigned for the labor movement in Detroit by making false claims about the law: 

What we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. We shouldn’t be doing that. These so-called “right to work” laws, they don’t have to do with economics; they have everything to do with politics. What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money. 

Those are strong words. They would be even stronger if they were true. As Heritage labor expert James Sherk explains: 

Right-to-work laws prevent unions from imposing mandatory fees, giving employees the right to work without paying union dues. Otherwise, right-to-work has no effect on collective bargaining. All other negotiations continue as before… 

Read the rest of the article at the Heritage Foundation


 
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